Winding apparatus.



M. LEITCH.

WINDING APPARATUS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED APRA, 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. LBI'IGH.

WINDING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 4. 1910.

977, 1 O4. Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

5 wvo Mofa l UNITED srariis PATENT ormoni.

MEBEDITH LEITH, 0F SPRINGFIELD, 'MASSACHUSETT ASSIGNOR T0 THE yANH-EIR:- ICAN THREAD COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

l WINDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd No?, 29,1910, Application tiled April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,286.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MEREDITH LEITCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new an d useful Improvements in Winding Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to winding apparatus, and has for its object to so secure the rotation of metallic spools about their proper axes as to permit the use of lighter stock in the spools and produce more accurate centering. Thespools in connection with which my invention is embodied are made of thin metal and are in the general form of spools as commonly known, having cylindrical bodies and tapered heads, the outer ends of the heads being lclosed by sheet metal closures. Such spools,when the en d closures are made of light material, are liable to have their holes torn or worn by the spindle if driven by ordinary spindles passing through the holes in the end closures, and the flexibility of themetal permits of a longitudinal movement or vibration of the spool due to the yielding ofthe thinmetali heads which interferes with a correct lay of the thread as it is being wound thereon.

This liability to longitudinal vibrationandthe dan er of having the spindles ream or.,

tear the oles so that there will be no longer f a fixed 'engagement between the spool and spindle, is a serious matter and is eliminated by my invention. Moreover, with my inven- -tion the centering of the spool does not depend upon the accurate centering of the hole. Another advantage of myinvention is that the driving engagement with the spindle is near the periphery of the spool head, so that a large friction driving surface is afforded. Another advantage of my invention is that the spool is clamped to the driving spindle by centrifugal force, so that the greater the speed the greater the `frictional engagement between the spool and the driving spindle.l l

The following is a description of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 shows the' spool and driving spindles partly in side elevation and partly in section; Fig. 2 shows an end view of the spool and driving spindleyFig. 3 shows an.

end view of the spool alone; Fig. 4 shows a modifica-tion partly in side elevation and partly in section; Fig.' 5 shows an end elevation of the spool of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawi ings, A is the metallic cylindrical body portion of the spool, the same being made of sheet or drawn metal. To this cylindrical body portion are secured 'tapering metallicV therewith, the seams D have both their internal and external surfaces accurately con-` centric with' the axis of the body portion A,

that is, the external surfaces of the seam D v and also the shoulder E are concentric with the axis of the body portion A. I take advantage of this accurately concentric relation of the shoulder E to secure the revolution of the spool about itslproper axis regardless of the holes F in t In order to do this, I provide drivingspindles G having extended driving heads H, whose outer surfaces are concentric with the axis of the s indle G. Power is appliedl to one of the spindles G so as to drive the spool in the ordinary way. `Thejspindles G may have projections I, which enter the holes F. These projections I, if used, should not lit theholes F closely but be loose within them since a tight fit would interfere with proper centering unless the holes F arev accurately centered. The extended driving heads H should he of such size as to accurately en-4 gage the surfaces of the inner shoulder E of the joints D, asshown in Fig.. 1 and also bear against the flat surface of thev end e end closures.

closures. vThe engagement of the inner surfaces E with the peripheries of the heads H centers the vbody A, so that its axis is con-y centric with the spindle and so that upon the rotation of-the spindle G- about its axis the spool will be rotated about the proper axis of thebody A. The lateral en agement of the enlarged spindle heads wit the end closures of the spool near the peripheries of the heads furnishes a largey driving surface, such that the frictional enga 'ement alone is sufficient, under manyv con itions, to drive the spool.

In order to increase the frictional engagement between the heads H and the surfaces E, I make the s indle heads hollow or of a somewhat cup-s apedl form, and mill slotsl thrown out by centrifugal force so as to hug the surfaces E more tightly. Inasmuch as the arms K are of the same Weight, they will be thrown out equally, and the centering of the spool will still be preserved. The greater the speed of rotation of the spindle G, the greater will be the pressure of the ends of the arms K upon the surfaces E, and

the greater, therefore, Will be the driving friction. Inasmuch as the heads H bear against the end closures C at their periphery, there is no pressure upon the centers of the end closures C which will tend to cause them to yield. There is, therefore, no longitudinal movement of the spool in winding which would interfere with the true lay of the thread thereon. Furthermore, inasmuch as the centering is brought about by the engagement with the surfaces E, there is no strain or stress upon the hole F in the end closure when such holes are provided.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, some of the advantages above referred to are secured in a slightly different manner. this form, G-Gr are the spindles, and have aflixed thereto enlarged spindle heads H-H, Which fit Within the rentrant surfaces of the end closures Cv and thereby center the spool, irrespective of the holesF, when such holes are used. The bearing of the spindle heads against the end closures at their peripheries prevents the spools from having any end motion by reason of the yielding of the end closures, and thereby secures a true and accurate lay of the thread' upon the spool. The engagement .of the spool head H with the peripheries of the end closures forins an extended driving surface of large diameter, and therefore provides a highdegree of friction for driving purposes. The friction thus produced is sufficient under many conditions, but if desired,'the spindle heads may be provided with one or more pins L, which prick the end closures C so as toform a positive connection between the end closures and the spindle heads.

The embodiment of the invention shown.

in Fig. 4 is shown and described in my pending application No. 466,456, led December claims having been divided out of that ap-v plication.

By the means above described, the advantages above referredI to are secured. The spools are accurately centered independently of any central perforations in the. spool" heads,and longitudinal movement'of the spool heads due to the yielding of the vendA y closures, isl eliminated,I with the result that the end closures may be made of metalof lighter Weight than would otherwise lbe i necessary, large frictional driving surfaces are provided and, in the form shown in. Figa V 1, the greater the driving speed,` the greater'- Will be the coefficient friction betweenthe spool and the spindle.

M invention permits of various other modifications in form, as will be evident to those skilled in the art, but the forms which I have shown are the forms preferred.

What I claim is: n

l. In a Winding apparatus,a sheet metal vspool having a cylindrical body portion and two enlarged heads, said heads havingl thin sheet metal closures provided with v recesses having near the peripheries of said heads internal surfaces concentric With the cylindrical body portion, in combination With two driving spindles having faces engaging the bottoms of said recesses adjacent to their peripheries and having extended portions provided with external surfaces adapted to engage said internal concentric surfaces upon said heads, the external engaging surfaces of the extended portions being concentric With the axis of revolution of said spin-v dles.

2. In a Winding apparatus, a spool having n. a cylindrical body portion and two enlarged heads, the enlarged heads having yielding vsheet metal closures, in combinationvvith two driving spindles havlng enlarged portions carrying opposing faces engaging with said yielding end closures adjacent to `their peripheries, and means for centering saidl spools relatively to the axis of said spindles.

3. In a Winding apparatus, the'combina--` tion ofv a sheet metal spool having a cylin-y drical body portion and two enlarged heads having thin sheet metal closures and recesses 3 therein rovided'near the peripheries of said heads Wlth. internal surfaces concentric` with the cylindrical body portion, with two driving spindles having extended yportions carrying external surfaces engaging the internal concentric surfaces upon said heads, the externalY surfaces .being concentric with the axis 'I of revolutionbf sald spindles, and having faces engaglng the bottoms of said recessesv adjacent to their peripheries said heads being perforated approximately at their centers' les having portions entering and said spin said perforations and fitting loosely therein.

4. In a Winding apparatus, a spool having' a cylindrical body portion and enlarged heads,vthe enlarged heads having near their peripheries internal surfaces concentric Withthe cylindrical body portion, in combination with driving spindles having extended portions engaging said concentric surfaces upon said heads, the engaging surfaces of the extended portions `being lconcentric with the axis of revolution of said spindles, said extended portions having yielding arms on their outer peripheries adaptedto hug said internal surfaces under the iniiuence of eentrifugal force.

5. In a Winding apparatus,"a spool having a c lindrical body portion and enlarged hea s, the enlarged heads having near their peripheries internal surfaces concentric With the cylindrical body portion in combination with driving spindles having extended portions engaging said concentric surfaces upon said heads, the engaging surfaces of the extended portions being concentric With the axis of revolution of said spindles, said eX- tended portions 4being cup-shaped and having slits formed in their outer peripheries sov as, to produce yielding arms adapted to hug said internal surfaces under the iniuence of centrifugal lforce.

v6. In a Winding apparatus, a spool having a cylindrical body portion and enlarged heads, the enlarged heads having near their peripheries internal surfaces concentric with the cylindrical body portion in combination with driving spindles havi said heads, the engaging surfaces ofthe extended -portions being concentricwith' the MEREDITH LEITCH.

Witnesses:

C. W. WEBB, y FREDERICK K. FEARNSIDE.

extended. portionslengaging said concentric surfaces'upon 

